Five Things you should know today August 8, 2012

The Billerica Republican Town Committee has released funeral arrangements for long time activist John MacMillan tonight.

The Billerica Republican Town Committee is heavy hearted as we have to annouce the death of one of our own. John A MacMillan II passed away Saturday morning August 4, 2012. He served his country in the airforce for 27 years and retired as a Master Sergeant. He was a Longtime member and Chairman of the Billerica Republican Town Committe, as well as the previous State Committeman man for our district. Wake is at Burns Funeral Home 354 Boston Rd. Billerica on Wednesday August 8th from 4pm to 8pm. Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s church at 9 am followed by internment at Fox Hill Cementary, Billerica. All are welcomed to attend.

2. Wall Street Journal weighs in on Jones-Patrick Care

The Wall Street Journal has weighed in on Brad Jones and Deval Patrick’s health care cost control legislation.

No registered provider is allowed to make “any material change to its operations or governance structure,” the bill says, without the commission’s approval. The commission can also rewrite the terms of provider contracts with insurers and payment levels and methods if they are “deemed to be excessive.”

As the commission polices the market, it can decide to supervise the behavior of any provider that exceeds some to-be-specified individual benchmark-that is, doctors and hospitals that are spending too much on patient care. These delinquents must submit a “performance improvement plan” that the commission must endorse.

In other words, the commission is empowered to control the practice and organization of medicine. The Massachusetts left complains that this government control is too weak because the delinquents can only be fined $500,000 for disobeying the commission’s dictates. But more teeth can always come in round three when this plan fails, as it will.

The main reason is that the enlightened planners never allow for the complexity of medicine in the real world. For example, Medicare has for years been trying to lower hospital readmissions using the strategies across the health policy universe-generate performance and quality measures, then pay “good” hospitals more and the “bad” less.

It’s a real shame that the Republican Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives not only supported this bill, but pushed his other members to vote for it in the GOP caucus meetings. Is it any small wonder why we sunk to 10% of the legislature? Why would anyone vote for a Republican who’s leadership pushes them to act like Democrats, when they could just vote for the real thing?

3. Brad Jones is mad at Governor Patrick

House Minority Leader Brad Jones, who supported the Governor’s Health Care Cost Control Legislation, is apparently upset with the Governor’s vetoes in the jobs bill.

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to Governor Patrick’s vetoes of an estimated quarterly tax structure and the elimination of a minimum excise tax for new businesses as part of the Economic Development package:

“I thought that the CNBC poll ranking Massachusetts 28th for ‘Top States for Business’ would have resonated with Governor Patrick. Judging by this most recent veto – it didn’t.

The way the Commonwealth currently collects the Estimated Quarterly Tax subverts our businesses and job creators. In 2001 the Democratic majority changed our fair process forcing businesses to keep large amounts of cash on hand to pay their taxes before they have even begun to collect profits in a given year. This legislation would bring fairness and stability to the collection process by restoring the timetable for corporations to pay their quarterly estimated taxes in four equal installments.

Additionally, by vetoing a provision which would have provided start-up businesses a $456 credit, thus eliminating their minimum excise tax payment for the first 3 years they are in business, the Governor has negating any narrative coming out of the corner office relative to job creation and economic growth in the Bay State.

4. The Obama that I Used to Know

Liberals are disenchanted with Obama. One puts it into video form.

5. Paul Levy’s Blog worth a read

I was talking to Charlie Baker last night about the Jones-Patrick Health Cost Control law and he said that Paul Levy, who used to run a large Boston Hospital has some good insights on the legislation. It’s worth taking a look at his blog.